Today, many electronic devices include memory systems to store information. For example, some memory systems store digitized audio or video information for playback by a respective media player. Other memory systems store software and related information to carry out different types of processing functions. Also, some types of memory systems such as, for example, Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) systems and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) systems are volatile memory systems in that stored data is not preserved when the power is off, whereas other types of memory systems such as, for example, NAND flash memory systems and NOR flash memory systems are nonvolatile memory systems in that stored data is preserved when the power is off.
Typically the memory capacity of a memory system, regardless of whether the system is “volatile” or “nonvolatile”, is doubled for every generation because of the nature of binary address bit structure in computing systems. Amongst those skilled in the art, it is commonly understood that doubled memory capacity (power of two memory capacity) is a requirement that should be complied with if it is used in main memory system. Furthermore, although there have been some previous proposals for non-power of two memory capacity in a volatile memory system, at least in the context of nonvolatile memory systems there apparently does not currently exist any practical way of producing memory systems having non-power of two memory capacity.
It would of course be useful to be able to produce a nonvolatile memory system having non-power of two memory capacity. In this regards, one problem with doubling memory capacity without scaling down the process technology is that the associated circuits and components of larger size can usually no longer fit within the same package because of physical constraints such as, for example, physical size increase might be limited to increase in one dimension and the needed increase in size could be outside of definitive limits for any potential increase in size. Furthermore, changing the package may not be an option because industry adopts standard packages such as, for example 48-pin TSOP-1. Thus, the impact of switching from a standard package to a non-standard package may, in some cases, be as consequential as having to redesign the entire printed circuit board.
Given the problems posed by increasing physical size while staying within the same package, scaling down the process technology is the remaining alternative option that is considered; however scaling down the process technology is a huge investment. In many circumstances, it would be substantially more cost feasible to increase memory capacity without having to scale down the process technology.